SHANGRI LA

Shangri La — Lagoon 52 sailing catamaran, 2016, refit 2023 The name refers to a hidden paradise, untouched by time — a lot to live up to. This 2016 Lagoon 52 does it quietly, through space and ease rather than spectacle, and a 2023 refit keeps her presentation current. She sails the Virgin Islands year-round, US and British, which is exactly the cruising ground this platform was built for: short hops between anchorages, steady trade winds on the beam, and the shallow draft to tuck into places heavier yachts have to admire from a distance. Accommodation runs to four cabins for eight guests. Three are queen-size, each with its own ensuite — electric head, vanity and a separate shower stall, so nobody is negotiating for space in the morning. The fourth carries a double bed. Note that the crew quarters occupy the port aft deck cabin and the bunk; with prior approval and a supplement, both crew relocate to the bunk cabin, opening that fourth cabin to guests. The saloon is genuinely generous — a Lagoon 52 gives you a single level of living space between the hulls that most monohulls of this length can't approach — and it works equally well for a long lunch out of the sun or an evening indoors. Outside, there is more choice than you'd expect: alfresco dining aft, a flybridge seating area for sundowners with the whole anchorage in view, and a forward lounge tucked behind the trampolines. That last one is the spot people quietly claim for themselves — out of sight of everyone else on board, with nothing ahead but the bow wave. The crew are dedicated to a single charter party at a time, and the rhythm of the day follows yours rather than a schedule. For the water: two stand-up paddleboards, snorkelling gear, a Subwing, towable tubes, two fishing rods, a large floating mat for the long, unhurried part of the afternoon, and games for the beach. Diving is arranged by rendezvous with a local operator.